Local entrepreneur shares about his successful shuttle service business
It all started with one car; so old that everyone in his neighbourhood thought that he operated a Jikeleza service. So he did. Sakumzi Bambalaza started a transport service and charged just enough to cover his petrol expenses. However, he soon realised that he could turn this service into a business. In 2000 he officially employed a driver for the car and used his profits to fix up the vehicle. He mentions, “It is so important to keep your vehicles neat, as those who use the service require decent vehicles”. This led Sakumzi to buy suitable vehicles, learning along the way which vehicles worked best for a Jikeleza service, and by 2011 he owned a fleet of twelve vehicles. He registered the business as Saki's shuttle service that same year.
It was at this point that some of his clients started to enquire about transport to the airport and Sakumzi, after much research, decided to convert four of his vehicles into a shuttle service. Venturing beyond his neighbourhood did not come without numerous obstacles and new needs, such as a transport permit. However, Sakumzi was eager and open to learn, and the more he noticed what the industry was like, the more he was drawn to it. He says, “Through mistakes you learn how to do business right, such as getting your pricing right and putting systems in place. Your approach to business is important; discipline and structure is crucial”.
He joined The Hope Factory Programme in 2015 and indicates that “the support he is receiving from The Hope Factory is speeding things up for his business”. He has learned the importance of looking after yourself as a business owner, having realised that when you know yourself, you know what you can do and that once you have a mentor, things start to change. “I had to learn to change my approach towards my drivers and since then we have mutual respect for one another”, explains Sakumzi. His continued research and relationship with corporate clients, including a well-known hotel group, highlighted the need to re-brand his business to ensure that he attracts the right clientele. His vehicles were all in excellent condition, fitted with all the necessities such as two-way radios, permits, liability cover, a tracker and on-board cameras, yet the look and feel appealed more to a younger market. Now trading as Limelite Cabs, with new, fresh and professional branding, Sakumzi continues to grow his business through the mentoring support he receives at The Hope Factory. He now operates a successful shuttle service with five vehicles, eight employees and various corporate contracts.
“I received more than just information from The Hope Factory. I received a life-change. Dealing with professionals makes you become more professional. I now have a new mind-set and new ways of doing things”, says Sakumzi.
